Balance-ledger.



Nn.s7n,o94. Patented Apr. '2, wolf w. E. SAVAGE.

BALANCE LEDGER.

(Application'led 'Jam-4, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

.qm l www@ NVENTOR WUNESSE A Saxy@` Elfi@ W No. 67|,094 l Patented Apr.2, |901.

\ w. E. SAVAGE.

BALANCE LEDGER.

. Application led Jn 4, 190L) i f No Model.) 2A Sheets-Sheet 2.

2 C? JNVENYOR WIT/@5555; Y

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limiten STATES Artur rricn.'

WILLIAM EDWARD SAVAGE, OF OKOLONA, MISSISSIPPI.

BALANCE-Lenen.

SPECIFICATION forming `part of Letters 'Patent No. 671,094, dated April2, 1901. Application led January 4, 1901. Serial No. 42,054. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom,` it nca/y concern.'

Be it known that LWILLIAM EDWARD SAv- AGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Okolona, in the county of Chickasaw and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBalance- Ledgers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to ledgers and balance-indicators therefor.

One object of the invention is to produce a ledger in which thecondition oi an account may be instantly determined by an inspection ofthe account or by reference to a balanceindicator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ledger having theusual debit and credit columns and, in addition, debit and creditbalance columns, so that with each entry a deduction or addition may beinserted in either the debit or credit balance columns, that the lastentry may indicate the condition of the account.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to produce abalance-indicating device in connection with a ledger in which a columnfor the titles of the accounts and the columns for the debit and creditbalances and a column for the footings are formed.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide novel means forprotecting the titles and figures of the indicator and in providingmeans whereby the footings may be readily changed.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide indicator-slips andmeans whereby the said slips are held in place.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Wherein likecharacters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views,and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a ledger embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a sectional View on the line x a: of Fig. l. Fig. 4c is an enlargeddetailed view of a fragment of one of the indicators. Fig. 5 is a Viewin elevation of a modification, showing the ends of the ledger andindicators bound in separate volumes.

In the drawings, l l l indicate a series of leaves, and 2 2 2 theinterposed indicators. As many leaves may comprise aseries as practicedemonstrates most convenient; but I have found that a series of thirtyor forty leaves is best adapted to banking or co1nmercial requirements.Each page of the ledger is divided into spaces for accounts, the numberof spaces being governed by the requirements of the business in whichthe ledger is used. In the drawings the pages are divided into fourspaces 3 3 3 3, which are numbered y consecutively, each space having atitle or name at the top and then below a date-column 4, a column 5marked Debits, a column 6 marked Credits, a column 7 markedDebit-balances,7 and a column 8 marked Credit-balances.

It is my purpose to have the balance-col umns indicate always thecondition of the account. Thus the account A shows four debit items, andon the same day ofthe second-debit there is a credit item, and in thedebit-balance column the balance of the account is shown for that day. y

In the account Bis shown a credit-balance,

thus illustrating the simplicity of the system.

and the advantageous results.

The indicators 2 are formed with a back d, towhich are secured bystitches b orotherwise a longitudinally-disposed central partition b anda series of equidistantly-spaced transverse partitions. Between each ofthe partitions c are the ways d, in which are slidably and removablyseated indicating-slips e, which may be of any suitable material, prei'-erably light cardboard. The column a is for numerals designating a spacein the preceding series of leaves and opposite thereto the title of theaccount corresponding to the numeral. To the right of the longitudinalpartition three columns are indicated by lines on the slips, which slideunder the transparent cover p, and these columns are used in indi- IOOve when a change is madein the footing of the eating the conditions ofthe accounts named in the column to the left of the longitudinalpartition. The date of each balance indicated may be placed on the topor bottom slip, as best suits the purpose of the user, or left offentirely.

As an aid to the introduction of the slips the transparent cover isprovided with the slots g between each two transverse partitions,through which a pointed instrument may be run to engage and withdraw theslides account to which it corresponds.

The transparent cover terminates at each side a suitable distance fromthe edge of the base, and the slips e are of such length as to protrudebeyond the edges of the cover, thus affording means for grasping theends of the slides for their manipulation. Strips f of the samethickness as the partitions c are secured along the edges of the base,and a space a2 intervenes between the strips fand the ends of thepartitions to afford ready access tothe slips e. Guards a3, comprisingstrips of any suitable length, preferably of such length as to guardfour or five slips, are hinged to the edges of the base and are drawndown to normally cover the space a2, that the slips e may not beaccidentally misplaced. There is a space between the edges of the guardsand transparent cover for the purpose of permitting the operator to liftthe guards by engaging the edges thereof. The guards may be swung back,as shown in Fig. 4, that access may be had to the slips. Elastic Vbandsh', strung through the base and through the guards, serve to exert apull to retain said guards firmly in place in engagement with the slipse, the stripsf, and the partitions c.

It is a well-known fact that many accounts are inactive and such slidesneed not be disturbed, but the figures thereon are always protected bythe transparent cover.

In my system it is my purpose to have a column i, which shall indicatefootings of either the debit or credit balance, according to the use ofthe ledger, such footings to be made every ten items, so that the workof balancing may be simplified.

When the ledger is to be used in bankinghouses, it would be moredesirable to have the footings-column denote the credit-balances, for itis well understood that the accounts having credit-balances prevail,While but few accounts will have a debit-balance.

In mercantile use the number of accounts witha debit-balance prevail.Hence for such use it would be more convenient to have the footings showthe debit-balance, for the creditbalance in such cases can be readilyfooted in the credit-balance column.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ledger c' may be bound in sections with anysuitable partitions, such as c2, to show the sections, and thesepartitions may be appropriately marked to correspond to the indicators,which may be provided with any suitable cover, such as j.

` of the ledger.

In this form the indicators will be constructed as those heretoforedescribed, and the indicators marked d2 d3 d4 dwill disclose theaccounts entered in the sections d" d" 61 dm" It is understood that thisarrangement of the indicators separate from the ledger may be resortedto wherever convenient and advantageous to the user.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by several series of leavesand balance-indicators interposed between the several series, saidindicators each comprising a base with longitudinally and'transverselydisposed partitions on its face, a transparent sheet on the partitionshaving slots registering with the spaces between the partitions andslides inserted in the interstices of the transparent cover andpartitions adapted to be engaged by an instrument inserted in the slots,as and for the purpose set forth and described.

2. A ledger and balance-indicator comprising several series of leaves,each of which is ruled with a date-column and a credit-balance column, acredit-column, a debit-column and a debit-balance column for eachaccount, a balance-indicator comprising a base interposed between theseries of leaves and bound therewith, a longitudinal partition on thebase about centrally distant from the edge of the series of leaves tothe outer edge of the base, a series of transverse partitions on eachside of the longitudinal partition, and a transparent cover on thepartitions forming therewith slideways and slips adapted to enter theslideways; said cover having slots registering with the slideways,substantially as described.

3. A ledger and balance-indicator comprising several series of leaveseach of which is ruled with a date-column, a debit-column, acredit-column, a debit-balance column and a credit-balance column foreach account, a balance-indicator comprising a base interposed betweenthe series of leaves and bound therewith, a longitudinal partition onthe base about centrally of the distance from the edge of the series ofleaves to the outer edge of the base, a series of transverse partitionson each side of the longitudinal partitions, and atransparent cover onthe partitions forming therewith slide ways, and slips adapted to enterslideways formed by the partitions and cover, said slips having columnsruled thereon, substantially as described.

4c. In a balance-indicator forledgers, a suitable base havinglongitudinal and transverse partitions, said transverse partitionsterminating back of the edges of the base, strips secured along theedges of the base with intervening spaces between the edges of thestrips and the ends of the partitions; said strips being of the samethickness as the partitions, keepers hinged along the edges of the baseand contacting with the surface of the IOO IIO

transverse partitions and guarding the spaces between the strips andpartitions, elastic lacing for retaining the guards in place, and atransparent cover secured on the partitions with its edges terminatingback of the edges of the guards, as and for the purpose described.

5. In abalance-indicatorforledgers,a base, longitudinal and transversepartitions on the base; said transverse partitions terminating back ofthe edges of said base; a transparent cover secured on the partitionsand terminating back of the ends ofthe transversely-disposed partitions,strips secured along the edges of the base of equal thickness with thepartitions with the edges a suitable distance therefrom,slips havingrulings thereon adapted to slide 'in the Ways formed by the partitionsand the cover and guards hinged along WILLIAM EDWARD SAVAGE.

Witnesses:

B. F. ELLIS, O. M. SAvAGE.

